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# Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Marine Corps Courts-Martial
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-marine-corps/
- Published: 2026-11-03T01:38:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T01:38:27.000Z
- Description: The Marine Corps had 36 contested courts-martial for sexual abuse of an adult that reached a verdict from 2017 to 2025, and 5 ended in a full acquittal (14%). Another 11 (31%) were partial acquittals. In federal court, 79 of 276 trials ended in an acquittal (29%). The Marine Corps count is small, so
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Sexual Abuse of an Adult](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-adult-vs-article-120/) › Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Marine Corps Acquittals

**In brief:** The Marine Corps had 36 contested courts-martial for sexual abuse of an adult that reached a verdict from 2017 to 2025, and 5 ended in a full acquittal (14%). Another 11 (31%) were partial acquittals. In federal court, 79 of 276 trials ended in an acquittal (29%). The Marine Corps count is small, so its percentages move a great deal with each case.

Updated November 2, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results

This post uses the Federal Judicial Center's records of 2,093 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). The series also draws on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 659,036 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## Marine Corps Verdicts in Contested Cases

The Marine Corps group is every contested court-martial for Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact that reached a verdict. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.

Of the 36 cases, 5 ended in a full acquittal (14%). The 11 partial acquittals (31%) were cases where the accused was not guilty of at least one charge and guilty of another.

## Small Counts by Forum

Navy and Marine Corps records usually do not show who decided guilt. In the Marine Corps, a judge alone decided 12 cases, with 1 full acquittal (8%). Members decided 10 cases, with 2 full acquittals (20%), and all 10 were enlisted members.

The 14 cases with no forum listed had 2 full acquittals (14%). With groups this small, a difference of 1 case changes the percentage a lot.

## Marine Corps Results by Year

The table shows each year with a contested case that reached a verdict. Several years have only 1 or 2 cases: 2017, 2018, and 2020.

The largest annual count was 10 cases in 2021, with no full acquittals. The year 2025 had 3 full acquittals in 7 cases. These yearly figures are too small to show a trend.

| Year | Marine Corps: full acquittals of contested cases |
| ---- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| 2017 | 0 of 1                                           |
| 2018 | 0 of 2                                           |
| 2020 | 0 of 1                                           |
| 2021 | 0 of 10                                          |
| 2022 | 1 of 4                                           |
| 2023 | 1 of 5                                           |
| 2024 | 0 of 6                                           |
| 2025 | 3 of 7                                           |

## Federal Trials for Comparison

The Federal Judicial Center counted 2,093 defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244, with any victim age, whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Of these, 1,555 (74%) pleaded guilty and 262 (13%) had their cases dismissed. Trials numbered 276 (13%).

Acquittals followed in 79 trials (29%). Jury trials had 72 acquittals among 257 (28%), and bench trials, decided by a judge, had 7 among 19 (37%). Overall, 1,752 defendants (84%) were convicted.

## Comparing Unlike Groups

The Marine Corps figure is a full acquittal rate among contested cases, while the federal figure is an acquittal rate among trials. Federal case data does not report partial acquittals separately.

The federal data covers any victim age. The Marine Corps count covers adult victims only. A federal felony needs a grand jury indictment, while a court-martial has none.

## What the Records Cannot Show

The records do not show why a case ended in a full acquittal, a partial acquittal, or a conviction. With only 36 cases, the Marine Corps rate could change if a few more cases were added.

Because the Marine Corps accounts for few contested verdicts, the records cannot support a firm statement about how Marine Corps courts-martial compare with federal trials.

### How We Counted

Marine Corps courts-martial charging sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 that were contested and reached a verdict (36). Federal: defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 2241 to 2244 (any victim age) whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (2,093), Federal Judicial Center.

Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.

### What to Keep in Mind

**Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.

**Different cases reach each system.** Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.

**Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.

**Offense categories do not line up exactly.** Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.

**How "plea" and "trial" are counted.** In the federal sentencing numbers, "trial" means the person was convicted after a trial, including people who pleaded guilty to some counts and went to trial on others. People acquitted at trial are not in these numbers at all (see "Who is in each set of numbers"). In the federal case data, the trial rate counts both convictions and acquittals at trial among all defendants whose cases ended, including dismissed cases. Military numbers count contested cases that reached a verdict. These denominators are not the same, and each post states the one it uses.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-adult-vs-article-120/) (overview)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-army/)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Navy Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-navy/)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-2023-sentencing-reform-so-far/)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Charges: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-acquittal-rate-vs-courts-martial/)
- [Guilty Pleas in Sexual Abuse of an Adult Cases: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-guilty-plea-rate-vs-courts-martial/)
- [Sexual Abuse of an Adult Convictions of Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-adult-sexual-abuse-junior-enlisted-vs-federal-court/)
- [Are Courts-Martial More Likely to End in Acquittal Than Federal Trials?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-trial-acquittal-rates-vs-courts-martial/) (related comparison)
- [Guilty Pleas in Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, Year by Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-guilty-plea-rates-vs-courts-martial/) (related comparison)
- [Child Pornography Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-sentences-vs-courts-martial/) (related comparison)
- [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) (related comparison)
- [Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) (related comparison)
- [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Cases vs. Article 120b Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sexual-abuse-enticement-vs-article-120b/) (related comparison)
- [Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss: Federal Sentences vs. Article 121 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-dollar-loss-vs-article-121/) (related comparison)
- [Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 120 Sentences in the Navy-Marine Corps: Confinement and Discharges, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 120 Cases: What Happened at Trial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-120-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-120-courts-martial/) (court-martial data)
- [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 120 UCMJ Explained by a Former Special Victim Prosecutor](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page)
- [Forum Selection](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/forum-selection/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)

**About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.